Environment Committee on Oct. 19th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I'll call the meeting to order. Welcome to meeting number two of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. The committee is meeting today to discuss committee business.

The meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the House order of September 23, 2020. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website. So that you're aware, the webcast will always show the person speaking, rather than the entirety of the committee. To ensure an orderly meeting, I would like to outline a few rules to follow.

Members may speak in the official language of their choice. Interpretation services are available for this meeting. You have the choice at the bottom of your screen of “floor”, “English” or “French”. For members participating in person, proceed as you usually would when the whole committee is meeting in person in a committee room. Keep in mind the directives from the Board of Internal Economy regarding masking and health protocols.

Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. If you're on the video conference, please click on the microphone icon to unmute your mike. For those in the room, your microphone will be controlled as normal by the proceedings and verification officer. I have a reminder that all comments by members and witnesses should be addressed through the chair. When you are not speaking, your mike should be on mute. With regard to a speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do the best we can to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all members, whether they are participating virtually or in person.

The discussion is on the amendment of Ms. Collins to add the word “vehicles” after the words “zero-emission” in the motion of Madame Pauzé.

Mr. Baker, I believe you had the floor when we finished our last meeting.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Thank you, Chair. I have no further comment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Okay.

Madam Collins, you had your hand up.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I spoke to Mr. Schiefke, who has an amendment that would cover my amendment and add something else, so I'd like to propose that we discard this amendment and move on to his.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Go ahead, Mr. Schiefke.

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Thank you very much, Ms. Collins.

Madam Chair, I have two amendments that I'd like to put forward on the motion put forward by Madame Pauzé, which read as follow:

First, between “the committee examine” and “that a report”, I would add “further measures that could be taken to incentivize the production and purchase of zero-emission vehicles, including a zero-emission vehicle law”.

Second, after “that four meetings be devoted to it”, I would add “starting at the next meeting of this committee with the appearance of Environment and Climate Change Canada officials and other relevant officials and stakeholders”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Schiefke, the interpreter does not have your text. Could you go slowly so she can interpret it?

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Of course, Madam Chair.

Would you like me to start at the beginning of the first part of it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I guess so. I don't know which points she didn't get for translation.

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Madam Chair, I want to move two amendments.

First, between “the committee examine” and “that a report”, I would add “further measures that could be taken to incentivize the production and purchase of zero-emission vehicles, including a zero-emission vehicle law”.

Second, after “that four meetings be devoted to it”, I would add “starting at the next meeting of this committee with the appearance of Environment and Climate Change Canada officials and other relevant officials and stakeholders”.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Madame Pauzé, that's the amendment that has been made. Do we have any debate on it? Are there any questions?

Yes, Mr. Jeneroux, just one second.

Alexandre, is anybody sitting there physically with you who raised their hand before Mr. Jeneroux? If they did, I apologize, but I am letting Mr. Jeneroux go first.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Alexandre Roger]

No, that's fine, Madam Chair. No one here in the room wishes to speak, but I will keep an eye open for them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you.

Mr. Jeneroux, the floor is yours.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

It's the chair's prerogative, Madam Chair, and thank you for letting me go first.

Following along with Mr. Schiefke, the one thing about the next meeting being where we start this, I believe that at the last meeting we made arrangements to invite the officials along with the minister...being that two-hour hybrid. I'm just clarifying if that's where this fits into the larger plan of the meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I would ask the clerk if he has received any information from the minister as to when he proposes to come.

Alexandre, do you have any information? If not, then I'll put the parliamentary secretary on the spot.

[The Clerk]

Right now I have no confirmation whatsoever.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Okay.

Mr. Schiefke, do you have any information for us?

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Jeneroux, for your question.

The only thing I know currently is, I believe at the last meeting we said that the minister needs to appear before November 6. That's the only information I have right now. I think that was moved by your colleague Mr. Albas. We can follow up and make sure that we get a response, but I think that's what we're looking at right now, likely the first week of November, November 2, assuming we don't have two meetings that week. I know that our respective whips are working on finding a solution to possibly going back to two sittings a week, but that hasn't been decided, so I think we're looking at November 2.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Jeneroux, if the minister were to come, say, by October 26, then he gets first priority, okay?

Madam Collins, you had your hand up.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I have a question about what's counted as a committee meeting. Right now we're doing committee meetings once a week for two hours. Usually we'd be meeting twice a week for one hour. Are the two-hour committee meetings considered two meetings? How does that work?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I don't remember committee meetings ever being an hour. Maybe I was asleep, but committee meetings were always two hours, and therefore—

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

That's my mistake.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

—we had four hours of committee work, and then we had subcommittees that met for an hour.

Subcommittees meet for an hour, and the committee as a whole meets for two hours.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Thank you, Chair. Sorry about that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I think that's what Mr. Schiefke was saying. The whips are working to see if we can get two meetings per week. That way we would be able to complete the agenda that we want to, because otherwise we have no time.